A Lot Can Happen In A Week
by Fabulous 32
Summary: In an attempt to record a typical week on board the Destiny, the crew prove that in space there is no such thing as normal. Each chapter will follow a differant character begining with Lt James. Sorry I am rubbish at these intros
1. Chapter 1  Lt James

**A Lot Can Happen In A Week.**

**I do not own Stargate in any way, shape or form.**

**Chapter One – 2****nd**** Lt. Vanessa James**

…

The Kino looked on as Eli knocked on the door in front of him. Eventually an exhausted looking Lt James appeared at the door having obviously just woken up.

"Eli, do you know what the time is?" she asked bleary eyed.

"It's just after seven!"

That woke her up.

"God, half an hour until my shift!" she gasped. Then she stopped, suddenly confused about why Eli was standing at her door so early in the morning with a Kino floating behind his head. "What do you want." she asked.

"The P.R. thingy." He said, pointing to the Kino.

Off her blank expression Eli realised he had to explain.

"You know the discussion in the mess hall about how it would help relations between SGC military and the civilians if they had a better understanding of each other's roles."

"Was this last night?" Lt James asked; "Brody's hooch was a little strong, my memory of last evening is still a bit fuzzy."

"That's right." said Eli, "Chloe suggested it would be great if we could use the Kinos to get a peek at how the other half lived."

"I think I remember her saying that, yes." said Vanessa, the memory obviously returning. "I volunteered didn't I?"

"Just for a week." said Eli; he worked on the control as he spoke. "I can programme it to follow you bio-print. I'll give you the remote so you can pause it while you… you know… dress and stuff."

"I'm not sure about the idea of having a metal ball following me for a week. What would Colonel Young…" began Vanessa,

"He actually thinks it's a good idea." interrupted Eli, "Chloe is our civilian volunteer. You don't have to talk to it if you don't want to. Think of it as a fly on the wall thing."

Still exhausted and very aware that time was ticking away before her shift started Lt James grabbed the control from Eli's hand.

"Fine." she said looking at the Kino now watching her. "Now if we are done I need to get ready."

"Thanks." said Eli as she shut the door on his face.

Lt James looked from the Kino to her unmade bed and without ceremony instantly pressed pause on the Kino control. When the Kino came back on the bed was made and Lt James was dressed.

"So a week in the life of us grunts." She said looking into the lens of the Kino. "First day, Monday morning and I am now running so late I have missed my shower slot." She sniffed her t-shirt. "But as my clothes were not due their weekly wash until tomorrow I don't think anyone would notice." She smiled, "So first order of business is breakfast." She shrugged on her uniform jacket, twisted her hair into a bun and set off to the mess hall with the Kino trailing behind.

…

The crewman on duty handed Lt James her ration and she took a seat on the table with Lt Scott and Sergeant Greer.

"What's with the Kino." asked Greer pointing his spoon at the floated camera.

Lt Scott laughed.

"Are you our military representative?" He asked.

"What?" protested Vanessa James, "Chloe's got one following her too!"

Greer still didn't know what they were talking about.

"It's 'Eye on Vanessa'." explained Scott. "It's filming a Kino-sode - a day in the life of the military to put the civilians at ease."

"A week." said James, "Eli said it was for a week."

Greer glared briefly at the Kino before going back to industriously shovelling his breakfast into his mouth. Lt Scott looked a little worried.

"Chloe is have one of those things following her for a week as well?"

Suddenly Lt James felt much better. She turned to address the Kino.

"So breakfast; what was now affectionately known as 'the slop', accompanied with our daily portion of not-quite-tomatoes." She rolled one of the fruits between her fingers "Like all the fruit growing in the hydroponics bay they taste a little odd but these things are just about palatable. Unlike the pseudo-strawberries produced with much fanfare a few weeks ago."

"Oh god, those were sour." agreed Lt Riley, appearing from nowhere. He pulled a face as he leant over her shoulder looking straight into the Kino. Laughing he moved to a table with Dr Park and Dr Volker.

Vanessa smiled and nodded,

"They were vile." she said, continuing to address the Kino like a video diary. "The idea of introducing fruit and veg to the slop was heaven until you taste it. Nothing ever tastes like you think it should. No one is daft enough to refuse their rations however, no matter how bad the taste - especially not after Dr Lewis's rather graphic description of scurvy among nineteenth century sailors." Vanessa pulled a face. "I'm fairly certain the powdered ration contained all our daily recommended vitamin requirements but why risk it." She took a bite of the tomato-shaped fruit. "After all I'd rather my teeth didn't fall out. It's bad enough toothpaste is beginning to get in short supply."

Vanessa got on with breakfast, aware that most of the crew were giving her odd looks thanks to the Kino float a few yards above her head. She called hellos it some of the night shift, having supper before going to bed and Camille Wray stopping by to remind her about her earth visit in a few days' time, but Vanessa's morning meal was rather uneventful apart from Scott and Riley's teasing.

…

"Breakfast is immediately followed by a 10 mile run around the decks in full kit." Vanessa told the Kino. "You civilians moan about their weekly work outs with Lt Scott. We have to do this every day."

She joined the squad and they set off on a run around the decks on the assigned route. The fact she was dripping with sweat and red faced at the end of the run meant she was a little less pleased by the cameras close proximity when the 10 miles was over.

"I just hope you all appreciate what we military personnel have to go through to stay fit and keep you safe."

…

With workout over Lt James paused the Kino and found time to grab a mist-shower. She reset it and it followed her as she headed to the cargo hold. She signed off her rifle and two clips of ammunition and a high powered torched; checking everything very thoroughly, ready for her assignment.

"Right," she told the Kino, "Three new sections have been opened within the ship. I am leading the team for section _Beta_. My squad consisting of Palmer, Rivers and O'Hara." She said introducing them in turn. "Exploring new sections breaks some of the monotony while we are stuck in hyper space. Admittedly all we usually find are more quarters or store rooms but sometimes we find something vital."

"Like that robot you found." said Palmer, "Very cool."

"And Sergeant Greer's team found 'the chair'" added Rivers, "Both pretty vital. Not sure anyone can top that."

"It's definitely my turn to find something." said Lt Scott from across the cargo bay. "Maybe a million ZPM's so we can power the stargate home."

"I'm hoping for a weapon's locker." said Greer, who was leading the third team. "These bullets won't last forever."

"This isn't a competition." said Lt James, "We'll find what we find. Let's get going."

Lt James, double checked her map references before heading out. She led her team to their assigned section with the official mapping Kino operated by Lt Riley following Vanessa's own. When they reached the door marked with a chalk cross, Lt James turned to what she hoped was her Kino.

"This door has been sealed since our arrival on Destiny. In a moment we will be entering a room which has been undisturbed for centuries."

"Very dramatic." said Lt Riley, from the Kino she addressed. "But the 'Eye on Vanessa' is actually behind you."

Embarrassed Lt James turned to the other floating camera and then back to Riley's.

"Sorry." she muttered.

…

The next forty minute of Kino recordings did not make for very thrilling viewing. The team went from hatch to hatch, unsealing the door and making a full search of the room beyond. Despite the monotony of it all Lt James made sure the team maintained discipline and they took it in turns to take point. Lt Riley was being a little grating from the voice box of the mapping Kino, he was probably getting bored sitting in front of his Kino remote somewhere back in the control room. The mapping Kino kept disappearing ahead of them down the corridors or entering rooms before they had been properly checked and cleared. Despite Vanessa's protest that this wasn't a competition, team morale was a little low. Every room they searched so far were empty storage areas. The most useful item of the day had probably already been found by Lt Scott's team. They were searching abandoned crew quarters in section Gamma and had found a second charging plate.

"Hey guys." said Riley's voice from the mapping Kino. "You might want to check this out."

The Kino was floating in front of a large reinforced metal door. It was different in design to the other doors in the section, bulkier and in the torch light, very menacing in appearance. O'Hara came forward with the unlocking device and with a hiss the door slid slowly open.

"Palmer, take point." ordered Lt James as they entered the dark room beyond.

Palmer got ten paces ahead before he cried out, his torch going out as he crashed to the ground. The rest of the search team cautiously but quickly moved to his position.

"Airman, are you alright?" called Lt James.

"Careful." Palmer called back. "It's slippery."

They found Palmer on his side in a pool of green fluid. He was struggling to get to his feet in the goo and in the end crawled back to them, not attempting to stand until he was clear of the pool.

Lt James instantly grabbed her radio.

"Control, I need to report a chemical leak in section Beta," she paused as she checked her location. "Section Beta twenty-seven. Over."

It was Dr Volker's voice that answered.

"It this leak from a cargo container?" he enquired.

Shining her torch around the areas to get a better idea of her surroundings Lt James eventually located the source of the fluid.

"The fluid is coming from a large piece of machinery. It's fixed and I think it connects to the deck above. The fluid kind of smells like fudge, I'm not entirely certain it's toxic" she reported

Palmer who had recovered from his embarrassment, moved to a nearby console.

"I think I can get us some more light on the subject." he said, "There's still some power in these circuits."

"That isn't protocol." replied Lt James. "We clear this room and wait for decontamination and quarantine."

"It's not like I can be any more exposed than I am." he said not leaving the console.

"Palmer." warned James.

At the same time Dr Rush's voice came through from the Kino.

"Palmer, I need you to stop what you are doing."

It was too late. Palmer pressed the last of the buttons and the lights came on. At the same time a spark shot from the console he was working on. Lt James briefly blinded by the light turned at the soft 'woof' that accompanied the spark.

Palmer screamed as his arm caught on fire, the chemicals from the spill burning a strange deep purple. Palmer screamed louder as he quickly became a human torch of fire and smoke. He unthinkingly began to run to the door into the direction of the large pool of green inflammable chemicals. The Kino recorded as Lt James ripped off her jacket and charged at Palmer. She knocked him to the floor, getting him to roll, not letting him stop, using her hands and her jacket to try and put out the flames. In a matter of moments, but what felt like hours the fire was extinguished. Palmer was still screaming but alive.

Lt James turned to give an order the rest of her team, but had a coughing fit instead. O'Hara was already on the radio calling for assistance. The Kino recorded as Vanessa looked down at the red raw burns on her palms, she seemed to be having trouble catching her breath. Rivers patted her on the back,

"Inhaled too much smoke?" he joked. But when Lt James looked up at him he looked very concerned. "Lieutenant are you alright?"

Lt James gasped and coughed, her face was turning red and her lips blue.

"I can't… breath…" she managed before passing out.

**End of chapter one – next instalment 1****st**** Lt. Tamara Johanson (TJ).**


	2. Chapter 2  Lt Johanson

**A Lot Can Happen In A Week**

**Chapter 2 - 1****st**** Lt Tamara Johanson **

The Kino kept recording as Lt James crashed to the floor. O'Hara rushed forward as Rivers moved to catch her. Palmer was still screaming and writhing in pain.

"Helps on the way." said O'Hara.

Even as she spoke footsteps could be heard in the corridor. Sergeant Greer and his team arrived accompanied by Lt Johanson, Eli and Dr Rush. Dr Rush gave the casualties only the briefest glance before he moved towards the console beside the leaking machinery.

"Eli." He commanded, "We need to isolate these systems!"

Eli who had been staring horrified at Palmers blackened body, looked a little sick.

"ELI!" Dr Rush shouted again, before the young maths wonder-kid joined him at the station.

TJ looked from one casualty to the other. Whole areas of Palmer's skin were so badly burnt his clothes were fused to his skin and his screams were agonising. Lt James lay perfectly still.

"I don't think she's breathing!" cried Rivers in panic.

TJ paused in a moment of indecision before moving to Lt James' side.

"What happened?" she asked.

"The fire was out and then she just started choking." reported O'Hara, "Said she couldn't breathe."

Lt Johanson lent down to examine her. Listening for breath sounds and feeling for a pulse.

"Airman I need your assistance." said TJ to O'Hara, "I need you to hold her head while I examine her throat."

O'Hara nodded and did as she was directed.

"What do we do with this guy?" asked Greer who was standing over Palmer's writhing form.

TJ looked up briefly from her examination.

"While he's screaming we know he's alive, unlike Vanessa."

TJ looked out of her depth, but she took a deep breath to centre herself.

"There is morphine in the kit. Give him a shot for the pain." she ordered before turning back to Lt James. "Try and keep him conscious."

Greer followed orders and Palmer' screams gradually softened to moans.

"There is still a pulse but her throat has closed up." said TJ, half to herself, as her shone a light into Vanessa throat.

"There was a lot of smoke." admitted Rivers.

"There could be lung damage." said TJ before turning to her medical kit, "But first order of business is to create an airway."

TJ pulled a small pack from the bag and opened it to reveal a small clear plastic tube. Then she pulled out a scalpel.

"I'll have to do a tracheotomy." She said injecting Lt James with a sedative. She looked O'Hara in the eyes. "You will have to hold her head very still and we need to raise her shoulders."

O'Hara nodded. And Rivers handed over his jacket.

TJ felt the base of Lt James' throat. She used her fingers to carefully measure spacing.

"If I get this wrong she could bleed out, or I could severely damage her oesophagus."

"Then don't get it wrong." said Rivers.

TJ nodded,

"Oh God!" gasped Eli, when he saw the scalpel in Lt Johanson's hand.

"Eli you need to concentrate!" demanded Dr Rush. "This is so much bigger than a couple of burns patients."

Eli turned back to the console.

TJ made a small, deep, incision and instantly a bubble of blood appeared.

"I think that's it!" she said, pausing for a moment. After widening the opening, she inserted the plastic tube into Lt James' throat and fixed it with medical tape.

"It's not working." sighed Rivers.

"No it's okay." said TJ, "Her lungs just need a reminder."

With that Lt Johanson blew gently into the open end of the tube. Lt James chest rose and fell. TJ relaxed.

"She's breathing!" Rivers cried, delighted.

More footsteps could be heard rushing down the corridor. Colonel Young hurried in with Lt Scott and a stretcher party.

The colonel took command.

"First order of business is quarantine." ordered the colonel. "I want this section cleared of all personnel. Can we move the casualties?"

"They are both sedated." said Lt Johanson as she was leaning over to examine Airman Palmer. "I think it is best we move him to a sterile environment as soon as possible."

"Colonel I don't think you understand the seriousness of this situation." began Dr Rush.

The colonel narrowed his eyes, he was never in a good mood when Dr Rush was around.

"Safety procedure – we have an unknown chemical spill which had resulted in two injured crewmen. This room is on quarantine until further notice."

"But Colonel!" protested Rush.

"Sergeant Greer." barked the colonel, "Please remove Dr Rush to a safe distance."

"Very good sir." said Greer, suddenly standing threateningly close to the scientist.

"You don't understand the implications of this…" shout Rush as he was escorted from the room.

Eli, who was left standing at the console, looked from the angry colonel to the door Dr Rush had just forcibly exited.

He pointed sheepishly after the doctor,

"I'll just go." he said before scurrying away.

The two patients were loaded onto stretchers. The Kino still tied to Lt James bio-print followed the stretcher party as they left the room. The last thing it recorded as it passed into the corridor was Colonel Young ordering the door to be sealed shut.

…

Dr Park and another of her sickbay volunteers were waiting for the stretcher party. Two beds already prepped for the incoming wounded. The Kino still followed as Lt James was lain onto one of the beds.

"We don't have much in the way of supplies." said TJ examining the work station.

TJ smiled a thank you to Dr Park and the other volunteers as she began by hooking Palmer up to an IV, and checking his breathing.

"Marion," she said turning to one of the volunteers, "Can you watch his breathing and let me know if there is any change." She then turned her attention to the burns on Lt James hands.

"What about Palmer?" asked Rivers.

"He's stable." TJ said simply, "But I'm going to have to do a lung function test on you and O'Hara as you were also exposed to the same chemical smoke as the lieutenant."

"We weren't that close." protested O'Hara.

"I feel fine." said Rivers.

"None the less." said TJ, "I need to make sure. Could you wait in that cubical?"

The two soldiers obeyed her and moved from Lt James bedside.

Colonel Young chose that moment to arrive. Dr Rush was following him.

"You don't seem to understand the implication." Dr Rush was saying.

"The fire detection system didn't activate. I did hear you." said the colonel, clearly on his last nerve. "Go ahead fix the problem. I don't know what you want me to say."

"It's not just the fire system. That chemical spill has serious implication."

"Fix it." said the colonel simply. "Do whatever it takes. Just go!"

Dr Rush glared at the colonel and marched out.

The colonel looked heavenward for a moment before approaching Lt Johanson.

"How are the patients?" he asked.

TJ barely looked up as she put ointment on the second of Lt James' burnt hands before applying the dressing.

"Lt James seems to be breathing fine with the tube. I can't find any indication of lung damage. I think it might be an allergic reaction that closed up her throat. I'll know better once the chemical has been tested, but the analgesic effect of the venom-anaesthetic already seems to have eased her symptoms. The burns on her hands are treatable; there is no deep tissue damage. As long as there is no lung damage and no infection she should make a full recovery."

"And Airman Palmer?"

TJ looked at the colonel with a very serious expression.

"I can't save him." she said sadly.

"What do you mean?" The colonel asked, surprised by her apparent defeatism.

"I mean, I can't save him. His injuries are too severe; I don't even the basic equipment."

"Well what do you need?" asked the colonel, "We could use the stones and bring in a specialist."

"This," she said, holding up a jar of medical cream, "Is all the burns ointment I have. There is barely enough for Lt James injuries, she'll need at least three more dressings before her hands are healed. Colonel, I don't even have enough dressings to cover his burns."

"Then you improvise - use sheets for dressings. I don't know how you can give up like this."

"I'm not giving up." TJ said, close to tears, "I hate this but I have to be practical - I don't have what I need to save him. He should be in an intensive care unit – he has burns to over 60 per cent of his body with a lot of deep tissue damage. I can make him comfortable that is all, but hyperthermia, shock, infection, respiratory arrest, are all risks."

"You didn't quit when I was injured." demanded the colonel, "What's changed?"

She took a deep breath and continued.

"I am constantly aware that with every patient I treat there are less medical supplies for the next casualty. We used up over a third of our supplies in just the first month with all the injuries after arriving through the stargate. Since then I've treated gunshot wounds, sprains, electrical burns, stabbings and performed major surgery. Yes, we have found a few plants with medicinal properties and that miracle animal venom, but it's not enough. The amount of medication and dressings we would need to treat him - I hate to say it, but I'm not sure we can afford it for the few days it may give him."

The colonel took TJ by the shoulders,

"We do not give up on anyone on this mission, do I make myself clear. You do everything in your power to save Airman Palmer; that is an order. I will deal with any consequences we may suffer further down the line."

"Yes, sir." said TJ quietly.

"So what do you need?"

TJ pulled herself together and looked at the medical supplies on the table.

"I'll need clean sheets, sealed and unused if possible. And could Camile come down to watch Lt James while I treat Palmer. She has some experience with breathing tubes."

"I can do that." said the colonel. "Anything else that could help?"

TJ smiled at him briefly, but the sadness remained in her eyes.

"A Prayer." she said simply.

…

Camille Wray appeared with a small stack of fresh bed linen, still sealed in their protective wrap.

"The Quartermaster was holding these back for emergencies." She explained. "Also I don't know if this will help but I had an amnesty on lotions as well, I'm guessing your supplies are getting low."

She emptied the contents of a military rucksack onto an empty bed. TJ sorted through the array of hand creams, face creams and other lotions. She picked up a tub of E45 cream and two jars of petroleum jelly.

"These I can maybe use but the rest… You can return them to their owners." She said, "It was a good thought."

"Sure." said Camille, putting the lotions back into the ruck sack. "So, Colonel Young said you needed me?"

"I hoped you could monitor Lt James. I've had to put in a breathing tube. I thought with all those weeks attached to the breathing machine as Doctor Perry, you would have enough experience…"

"Say no more." said Camille. "I'll be glad to help."

"Just call me if there is any change." She said, leading Camille to the patient. For the first time she noticed the Kino still floating above Lt James. "What the hell! Can we lose the Kino somebody?"

"I think it's tied to her bio-print. "said Dr Park, coming forward. "For the public relations thing."

"Well can it be switched off?" TJ asked.

"Eli could probably fix it." said Lisa Park, "If Dr Rush will let him go."

"We don't have time for this." sighed TJ.

She left Camille with Lt James and moved to Palmers bedside. She replaced the warm saline in his IV, and began, with the help of Dr Park, to cut him out of his clothes.

"Infection is the biggest risk." TJ explained to the scientist, "I don't want his skin to dry out, any cracks in the blisters will be an open door to any nasty organism. But we need to cool the burns while keeping his core warm - hyperthermia is also a risk."

"What about the Vaseline?"

"Never ever put anything greasy on a burn."

Dr Park was silent for the moment as they continued to cut away at Palmer's burnt clothing.

"I've been thinking." said Dr Park, "What about the showers?"

"What about then?" TJ asked as she carefully peeled the scorched t-shirt fabric from Palmer's chest.

"Well we know the mist has anti-biotic properties. Maybe if we built a cubical for him. The mist would warm him, create a sterile environment and prevent his injuries from drying out."

"You can do that?"

"Well maybe with Eli and Dr Brody's help. It's quite a straight forward system."

"That might work." said TJ.

"And Colonel Young did say you could have anything you needed." Dr Park reminded her.

…

**NEXT CHAPTER – Eli Wallace**


End file.
